That simple fact is why this new digital ad, released this morning by the Congressman Kevin Cramer’s Senate campaign, is going to be effective. It contains footage of incumbent Democrat Heidi Heitkamp on the stump 2016 shouting – literally shouting – about how Clinton “will be one of the greatest presidents.”

I think the ad could have been even more effective had the Cramer camp not done a voice over at all. Just play the video of Heitkamp’s hoarse bellowing in favor of Clinton, and then do the federally-mandated “I approve of this message” thing at the end. The stuff about Heitkamp being a reliable vote for liberal policies just distracts from the most powerful part of the ad.

“When Hillary was running, Senator Heitkamp was a strong vocal supporter of her presidential bid,” Tim Rasmussen, communications director for Cramer’s campaign, said in a release sent out with the ad. “We remember that Hillary called Trump supporters racist and backwards as recently as March 2018 in a speech in India. We also remember how Hillary characterized Trump supporters as a ‘basket of deplorables’ during her campaign.”

“Heitkamp’s support for Clinton and other liberal Democrat party leaders like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi does not represent the ideology of North Dakota voters. The ad clearly shows her position in her own words. Heitkamp comes to North Dakota and tells the voters she represents North Dakota, but her active non-election year support for Hillary and other liberal leaders tells a different story,” he continued.